1. Field of the Technology
The present technology relates to a game apparatus, a storage medium storing a game program, and a game controlling method. More specifically, the present technology relates to a game apparatus, a storage medium storing a game program, and a game controlling method that have a display portion for displaying at least a first key, a second key, a game image, and a touch panel provided in association with the display portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an electronic appliance such as a PDA capable of performing an operation input by use of a touch panel, it is common practice to prevent an erroneous operation by providing an interval (boundary areas) to some extent between designs (operation effective area) of adjacent operation keys.
For example, one example of this kind of a conventional game apparatus is disclosed in a Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 11-53093 [G06F 3/023, H03M 11/04, G06F 3/02] laid-open on Feb. 26, 1999. According to the prior art, boundary areas each having a predetermined width between the respective keys to be displayed on an input area is set, and according to a condition of an input error by the operator, a boundary area is set to an area belonging to either of the keys sandwiching the boundary area. Then, when the boundary area is selected, it is determined to which key the boundary area belongs to, and whereby, an input assigned to the determined key can be performed. Thus, it is possible to lessen an erroneous input.
However, the prior art is advantageous to input a character, etc. to an input device on which a key arrangement such as a keyboard is displayed, but is not advantageous to be applied to the game apparatus. For example, should the prior art applied to the game apparatus, it is impossible to determine which operation is an erroneous operation and it is not clear which boundary area belongs to which key during the game.
Therefore, when no key is assigned to the boundary area, in a case that a continuous (combined) operation of the adjacent two keys is performed according to a slide (drag) of fingers and a pen (stylus pen) on the touch-panel, a no-input state provisionally occurs when the boundary area of the two keys is pointed. That is, it is determined that each of the keys is separately operated. Consequently, it is impossible to perform an operation peculiar to a game such as inputting a specific command by operating the key in a combined manner.